2.

13 Properties of determinants

Next we list properties of determinants that simplify their computation. All matrices in this
section are of size n×n and these properties apply equally to rows and columns.

Property 1 - If all entries in a row (column) are zero, then det A = 0. (Expand by that row or
column).
Property 2 - If a matrix B is obtained by multiplying a single row (column) of A by a scalar c, then
det B = c det A. It follows that det (cA) = cn det A.
Property 3 - If a matrix B is obtained by interchanging two rows (columns) of A, then det B = −det
A i.e., interchanging two rows or columns changes the sign of the determinant.
Property 4 - If two rows (columns) of a matrix A are identical, then det A = 0.
Property 5 - Note that expanding with entries from one row and cofactors of another gives 0, i.e.,
n
(
X
m+j 0 if k 6= m;
akj (−1) cmj =
j=1
det A if k = m.

Property 6 - If B is obtained by adding a constant multiple of one row (column) of A to another row
(column) of A, then det A=det B. Note this gives us a way of simplifying things before
expanding by a row or column.


Property 8 - It follows that det A =det AT . Expanding A by a row is the same as expanding AT
by a column.
Property 9 If A is a triangular matrix (i.e., has zeroes below or above the diagonal) then the deter-
minant is calculated by multiplying the entries on the diagonal. (Expand by the row or
column that has a single entry).
Property 10 If A and B are n×n matrices then
|AB| = |A| |B| or det AB = det A det B.
It follows that
|A| A−1 = AA−1 = |In | = 1.
Hence
1
A−1 = .
|A|
Theorem. The n × n matrix A is invertible if and only if det A 6= 0.
 
2 1 −4
Example 2.13.1. Find the determinant of the matrix 3 0 −6 .
4 1 −8

Answer:
2 1 −4 2 1 −4 2 1 −4
3 0 −6 = 3 1 0 −2 = −→ 3 1 0 −2
(−2)R1 +R3
4 1 −8 4 1 −8 0 −1 0
2 −4
= 3(−(−1)) = 3(−4 + 4) = 0.
1 −2
Alternatively use column operations 2C1 + C3 to get a column of 0’s.

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  
3 6 9
Example 2.13.2. Find the determinant of the matrix −3 0 3 .
9 27 0

Answer:
3 6 9 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
−3 0 3 = 3 −3 0 3 = 3 · 3 −1 0 1 = 3 · 3 · 9 −1 0 1
9 27 0 9 27 0 9 27 0 1 3 0
1 2 3
R1 +R2 2 4
= −→ 81 0 2 4 = 81 · 1 = 81(−6 − 4) = −810.
(−1)R1 +R3 1 −3
0 1 −3
 
1 2 3 5
1 1 2 3
Example 2.13.3. Find the determinant of the matrix 
0
.
1 1 2
1 0 1 1

Answer:
1 2 3 5 1 2 3 5 1 2 3 5
1 1 2 3 (−1)R1 +R2 0 −1 −1 −2 R3 +R2 0 0 0 0
= −→ = −→ = 0.
0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2
1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

1 x −1
Example 2.13.4. Find the determinant of the matrix 1 −1 −x .
x −1 1

Answer:
1 x −1 1 x −1
(−1)R1 +R2 −1 − x −x + 1
1 −1 −x = −→ 0 −1 − x −x + 1 =
−xR1 +R3 −1 − x2 1 + x
x −1 1 0 −1 − x2 1 + x
= − (1 + x)2 − −1 − x2 (−x + 1)

= − x2 + 2x + 1 + x3 − x2 + x − 1

= − x3 + 3x = −x x2 + 3 .

 
−2 2 3
Example 2.13.5. Find the determinant of the matrix  0 −3 8 .
0 0 4

Answer: Note that this is an (upper) triangular matrix. Therefore

−2 2 3
−3 8
0 −3 8 = (−2) = (−2)(−3)(4) = 24 = product of diagonal entries.
0 4
0 0 4

Example 2.13.6. Let    

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 Answer: From  
2 17
AB =
3 14
we get

|A| |B| = (1)(−23) = −23 and |AB| = 28 − (51) = −23, showing that det AB = det A det B.

Example 2.13.7. Make sure you don’t do this

2 3 4 −3 −3 −3
(−1)R2 +R1
5 6 7 = −→ 3 3 3 = 0.
(−1)R1 +R2
3 4 1 3 4 1

This is wrong. Always keep the row or column which you are using unchanged.

For additional exercises see Edwards and Penney Ch 3.6 Problems 1 to 12.

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